1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of this invention relate generally to saddle horn covers, and more particularly to a saddle horn cover apparatus configured for engagement on a saddle horn to provide padding thereon while a user is performing various horseback riding activities.
2. Description of Related Art
By way of general background, over the years, many different sporting-type activities have developed in the context of horseback riding. One such horseback riding activity is called team roping, also known as heading and heeling. Team roping is a rodeo event that features a steer and two mounted cowboys or cowgirls. The first roper is referred to as the “header,” who ropes the front of the steer, usually around the horns; the second is the “heeler,” who ropes the steer by its hind feet. Team roping is the only rodeo event where men and women compete equally together, in either single gender or mixed gender teams. Cowboys originally developed this technique on working ranches when it was necessary to capture and restrain a full-grown animal. The header must rope the steer with one of three legal catches: clean horn catch (around both horns), a neck catch (around the neck) or a half-head catch (around the neck and one horn). The header then takes a dally, which means a couple of wraps of the rope around the neck of the saddle horn. Speed is important and some have lost fingers in this event. Once the header has made the dally, he will turn his horse, usually to the left, and the steer will follow, still running. The heeler waits until the header has turned the steer. When he or she has a clear way, he throws a loop of rope under the running steer's hind legs and catches them. As soon as the heeler also dallies tight, the header turns his horse to directly face the steer and heeler. Both horses back up slightly to stretch out the steer's hind legs, immobilizing the animal. As soon as the steer is stretched out, an official waves a flag and the time is taken. The steer is then released and trots off. A successful professional-level team takes between four and twelve seconds to stretch the steer, depending on the length of the arena. At lower levels, a team may take longer, particularly if the heeler misses the first throw and has to try again. Because speed is such an important factor in this sport, every movement by the header and heeler is critical and, thus, performed as fast as possible. Because of this, the header and heeler frequently hit their hands on the head of the saddle horn as they attempt dally their ropes as quickly as possible. Saddles, including the saddle horn, are typically made of a hard underlying material, such as wood or fiberglass, and then covered with rawhide and/or leather. Thus, hitting one's hand on a hard saddle horn in team roping or other horseback riding activities can cause serious hand injuries, specifically to the metacarpal bones.
The following art defines the present state of this field:
U.S. Pat. No. 426,934 to Heffernan discloses a removable cover for riding saddles composed of a foldable water-proof fabric having a seat portion adapted to cover the seat of the saddle, and provided with a pocket at one edge to engage the end of the saddle, a strap at the opposite edge of the seat portion, side flaps depending from the side edges of the seat portion, and securing straps and hooks around the edges of the side flaps.
U.S. Pat. No. 515,239 to Leupold discloses an attachment for side saddles by the use of which the rider's skirt will be effectually prevented from catching on the pommel during the act of dismounting or when thrown. The attachment consists of an elastic strap provided at one end with means for fastening it to the saddle, at the opposite end with loops to secure it to the lower pommel and at an intermediate point with a pocket adapted to be secured to the upper pommel.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,106,648 to Graves discloses a front rigging for swell fork riding saddles comprising a strap with a mid-portion and two sets of two elongated strap members each, said sets extending oppositely from opposite ends of the mid-portion, and the strap members at their free ends being formed into ring engaging loops, each set of strap members being longer than the mid-portion and arranged in embracing relation to the respective swells of the swell fork.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,530 to Parker discloses a roping saddle horn assembly adapted to be mounted upon a saddle tree comprising an inner core having a polygonal shape in cross-section, means for connecting one end of said inner core to a saddle tree, a head detachably connected to the other end of said inner core, and an outer removable rubber tubular sleeve of similar polygonal shape in cross-section constituting a friction generating material surrounding said inner core and extending from beneath said head to said connecting means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,827 to Strang discloses a strip of rubber having strap extensions at each end which are wrapped around the horn of a western saddle to increase the friction thereof, and the strap ends are secured together by the Conway buckle, and the excess strap ends are cut after the wrap is completed. The rubber thereby increases the friction and a lariat rope is wound around the wrap in roping cattle in the usual way, but requires a less number of turns of the rope around the rubber-wrapped saddle horn.
G.B. Patent No. 2,050,136 to Smith discloses a saddle cover comprising a functional surface for contacting a rider's legs, the surface having little friction against human skin and a backing anti-slip surface for contacting the saddle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,075 to Motsenbocker discloses an improved saddle comprising a saddle tree which is padded and upholstered on its top. The saddle tree is attached to a padded and flexible saddle skirt by connecting flaps which are affixed to the top of the skirt and which overlie marginal portions of the upholstered tree. Screws or other fasteners are employed to connect the flaps to the upholstered tree. Preferably four flaps are provided, one at each corner of the tree. Cinch rings are mounted on the forward pair of flaps. A stirrup strap is passed through slots in the tree about the middle thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,821 to Hiser discloses a protective cover for use with a riding saddle comprising a flexible central panel having side panels depending from its respective opposite sides for enclosing the stirrup leathers of the riding saddle. The flexible central panel has a sleeve attached to a front portion for receiving a saddle horn. According to this arrangement, the cover adjusted about the saddle by a drawstring inserted therethrough a casing defined by a folded edge of the flexible central panel, which permits the protective cover to be fitted onto riding saddles of different sizes. In order to maintain a snug fit of the flexible central panel to the riding saddle, the flexible central panel also includes elastic webbing, allowing the protective cover to conform to the complex curvature of the saddle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,006 to Jones discloses a rubber fitting for installation on the saddle horn of a conventional saddle, to enhance friction with the rope during the cattle roping process, and to remain securely attached to the horn as long as needed, being a one piece hollow cylindrical fitting in the form of a sleeve of molded rubber of a type which will produce good friction with the rope wrapped thereon, with an inner diameter sufficiently undersized in relation to the saddle horn that it achieves a tight, tensioned fit over the saddle horn, though large enough that it can be stretched to be installed over the saddle horn after soap lubrication of the saddle horn and the interior of the fitting; having alternate forms for differing pommel and forks of various saddle and horn geometries of different conventional saddles, with suitable angling of the top and bottom edges of the fitting for achieving optimum fit with the pommel, fork and saddle horn geometry of each saddle model, so that the bottom of the fitting, when installed, will fit flush against the saddle's pommel and fork, so that the rope may not work under the bottom edge of the fitting; and so that the forward edge of the top of the fitting will fit beneath the forwardly projecting cap at the top of the saddle horn, so as to further resist forces tending to lift the fitting off the saddle horn.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,775,965 to Yarbrough discloses a quick release designed as a safety tool for heelers participating in the sport of team roping. During the history of team roping numerous heelers have cut off fingers and hands, when wrapping the rope around the horn of their saddle in an effort to pull the rope tight around the steer's hind legs. This quick release was designed to eliminate the dally (wrapping the rope around the horn) process. The quick release strap is wrapped around the saddle horn and buckled into place. The end of the rope is placed in the loop of the quick release. After the steer is roped, the heeler pulls on the release and the rope is freed, thus eliminating any chance of fingers or hands being caught between the rope and the horn. For added safety, the rope can be released whether it is tight or loose.
G.B. Patent No. 2,418,125 to Ratcliffe discloses a waterproof cover for a riding saddle having pouches on its underside to receive the saddle flaps and oblong openings through which the stirrup leathers and irons can be passed, the openings being protected by waterproof flaps. The cover is made in two parts joined to provide a substantially saddle-shaped cover and is held in position over the saddle by a tensioning cord which passes through tabs spaced around the periphery of the underside of the cover.
The prior art described above teaches various types of saddles, protective covers for saddles, and friction-enhancing attachments configured for engagement with the neck of a saddle horn. However, the prior art fails to teach a saddle horn cover apparatus configured for engagement with a saddle horn in order to provide padding over that portion of the saddle while a user is performing various horseback riding activities. Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.